Campus Honor Club Fights Hunger, Illiteracy
(Press Release 05-12-08)
Hank Mooney, Office of Public Information

Members of Eastern’s honor society, Phi Theta Kappa, in conjunction with the PTK nationwide Project Graduation “Feed a Body, Feed a Mind,” have once again collected food and books to help alleviate hunger and illiteracy in communities across the nation.

Eastern’s PTK, collected 205 books and 144 non-perishable food items in the annual drive held during the weeks leading up to the Wilburton college’s graduation (May 2).

“The food will be delivered to the KEDDO Senior Citizen’s food bank,” said Brenda Kennedy, PTK adviser. “The food bank serves the surrounding 10 1/2 counties.”

“This year the children’s books will be designated to Fanshawe Elementary School,” added Kennedy. “Teachers will determine which children are in need of books to have for summer-reading.”

Over the years, Eastern’s Project Graduation has helped give books to children of Wilburton, Clayton, Nashoba, Tuskahoma, Albion, Panola and Red Oak schools. In just the past three years, Eastern’s PTK chapter has gathered 1,700 non-perishable food items and 1,290 children’s books. According to Kennedy, one of the main goals of the project is to provide books for underprivileged children at a different school each year.

For further information please contact Eastern PTK Advisor Brenda Kennedy at 918-465-1745, or email at bkennedy@eosc.edu.

Caption info: Some of Phi Theta Kappas’s new officers for 2007-08 school term helped to organize and distribute the collection of children’s books and non-perishable food items for this year’s Project Graduation. Pictured from left are: Secretary, Erica Gantz, Purcell; Vice President of Leadership, Karly Bitters, Stansbury Park, Utah; President, Kayla Slaughter, Buffalo Valley; Vice President of Scholarship, Kaysie Fields, Wetumka and Vice President of Fellowship, Kim Dull, Harrah. The local PTK chapter collected 205 children’s books and 144 non-perishable food items. Books were given to children who show a need and do not have books in their homes for summer reading. Food items are being donated to Wilburton Senior Citizens food banks.